The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-02-03
MISS TESTERS LEGACY.
why Amos Bore Her Brother No
Grudge.

"He'sa fine-lookin' man, yer sayP
Wall, he's jes' ez good ez he looksy"
The speaker was IN old farm-hand,
whom all the neighborhood loved and
respected.
..Dew I know hima Wall, 1 ruther
guess / dew! He's Miss Hester STAN
woods boy, an her m me've bringed
him up ever sence he wuz five year ole.
.Twuz a good menny year ago tibet
he come in pom us, amos fore we
knowed theer wuz any sech leetle chap
alvin. The mornin' I fust heerd bout
him I'd planned ter go down n the ten
acre lot a-mowin', but I couldn't seem
to start, fur Miss Hester, she 'peared to
hev suthin' on her min, ez he'd druv all
content out o. her.
"Marthy Ann an me we talked t
over to breakfas', an she says ez how
she knowed Miss Hester hedn'tketched
q wink o. sleep that night, far her face
wuz ez bleached, Marthy Ann says ter
me, ez an old caliker gownd. So l hung
-roun' pickin' tater-bugs off n the patch
nigh the house, an all the time I watch
ed Miss Fester n her cheer by the sit
tin'-room winder.
Fouldn't think O. nothin' ter
trouble her pertick'ler. We all hez our
foggy times n this world, an our
stumnlin's n damp, DOGGY swamps, an
Miss Hester she'd he'd her share right
upt the handle; but the las few years
shed been. ez 'twuz, steppin' roun' n
purity sunshiny medders, 'peared ter
me-. All ter onct / says ter myself
plague take himl Ye don't s'pose ez
thet< Yesky sample + a brothers come
ter light, do yep Purity soon 1 heerd
the bella-callin' Of me up from wheer I
.wuzstekle the ten-acre lot, an Marthy
Ar 9feiahcl, me ez how Miss Hester
wanted 5Manthe settin'-room
"sGood morninr .Amost says she ter
me.
whats wantin', Miss Hester?' says
j ter her. An she opened the subjec'
immediate, never lettin' the weeds
grow 'twixt her words.
Amos says she, we remember my
brother Benjamin.
"Wall, I reckon l do, the nuisance!'
says L We Amt neither on us likely
ter forgit him, Miss Hester
'.She bridled up purity smart at me,
an l sp'ose I did speak out mos tew
plain.
..Amos, she says, lookin' at me very
severe, speak no i'll o. the dead
Ter say tibet news O. BeNjamin's
death come on me ez an overpowerin'
afx,s,a %x, n ~nsko HAo.1 ~nrooo ~
feclin's nohow, but arter a leetle thought
the s'prise proved a most agree'ble one,
The way / looked at t, the brother an
worriment o. Miss Hester's life wuz
dead an buried long o. Benjamin.
""An' l learn from this she says
holdin' up a letter. 'ez his wife's dead
tew.'
ga pair on 'em gone says 1 to my
self. So fur I didn't see nothing re;
mourn over, but Miss Hester she look
ell ut t different. 'Twus her last o
kin, an'mebbe' twus only nat'ral fur hel
ter our Any how, you'd never ha
knowed but what Benjamin had 3eer
an angel, fur all the remarks she le
drop bout him arter tibet day.
"'Wall, Miss Hester says 1, artel
quite a spell O. quiet, 4 reckon I'd bes
be a-goin' back ter the ten-acre lot
Pine an tide, an grass, Miss Hester
dotf't wait fur no man.
'.'Stop, Amos!' she says, quickly
There's more ter tell. Benjamin lief
Hectic boy says she, AN what d'y'
think, Amos, ) his comm here ter us?
Il knowed by the unusual tremblin
o. her tones ez her heart wanted the
boy, an she wanted me ter gree wit
her; an furthermore, I knowed by an
other sign ez she meant ter hev him
Whatsoever / says. Now t fust 1 didn'
think t all we'll o. the plan. l knowe,
what kim o. tree that child wuz a linn
Of, an / didn't want Miss Hester pes
tered no more. 1 dassent speak, bu
law! Miss Hester knowed what 1 WI
a-tiIinkin' on; she'd riddle the brain
o. q scare-crow!
Amos she says, with e. harnsom
show o sperit, there's good blood be
him him; We can't gainsay it.
".You're right, Miss Hester says ]
Icap't.'
".Wall then, Amos, God helpin' G
me, I'm a-goin' ter try ter raise up on
more Stanwood ell match them whic
hez gone afore him. I'm a-goin' te
back prayer an love an patienc
agin any faint thur may be in his blood
an. Amos, I beseech ye not ter fai
me, fur 1 put greet dependence on ye
Il sshe.
"Wall,sI tried ter swaller my mis-
givin's, an'-.Miss Hester says /, II
match you agin a hundred any day tie
carry yer pint. fur ye know how te